Monday, June 29, 2009

Besides blogging and my work as a stay-at-home mom, I also volunteer at our church. Right now we are in the process of setting up a children's play area, a place for children to play during bible studies and other activities. I had been searching for a rug for this area for a for a few months but still hadn't purchased anything yet because we were waiting for some funds.

So, you can imagine how surprised I felt when CSN rugs contacted me last week asking if I would like to write a giveaway or review post about their area rug selection. Through blogging I've become aware of a lot of great companies and products. But this newest opportunity came at the perfect time. Indeed, the Lord knows our needs and provides for us each and every day!

Very soon the children in our church will enjoy playing on this beautiful L.A Rugs Supreme Streets Rug. Notice the church on the upper left; the manufacturer didn't forget this important part of the town in this road play rug. CSN offers a wide range of rugs including many, many kids area rugs.

Look forward to my upcoming review of CSN rugs and see a picture of the actual rug in the play area. In the meantime, I thought you might want to enter some of these great contests for the chance to win your own CSN area rug!

Sunday, June 28, 2009

My daughter treats her stuffed animals like they are members of our family. She makes sure they stay well-fed at all times, get plenty of rest and never lack in hugs and kisses. Her stuffed animals have been her favorite toys since she was old enough to grasp onto them. Boy does she have a collection, but she always has room for more.

Recently she was tickled red, white and blue to receive the Patriotic Pup, one of Build-A-Bear's Independence Day inspired animals. The puppy really is the cutest little friend, with her star nose and red ears and paws. (Yes, the one we received is definitely a girl puppy because it came with little red bows tied on it's ears!) My daughter named her "Star." I'm confident the puppy will be with us when we watch the fireworks on the 4th of July. Apparently Star likes to bask in the sun as well because we also received a great big Build-A-Bear beach towel that says, "Endless Summer of Hugs."

If you've never taken the kids to a Build-A-Bear workshop before, you really should try it at least once. Last Christmas I had a coupon for $10 off an animal, so I took my daughter. She LOVED picking out a new friend, blowing in the stuffing, adding the heart and watching the helper sew the animal up. The workshop is a great place to hold a birthday party as well. If you are a Build-a-Bear fan, make sure to sign up for the email newsletter. Just last month I received a coupon for a free animal through my email subscription!

Win a gift card! Build-A-Bear sent me a $25 gift card to give away to one Brimful Curiosities reader.

To enter, visit Build-A-Bear and let me know which animal is your favorite.

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section. • Contest is open to US only • Contest ends on Monday, July 13th, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST.• Winner will be chosen at random and sent an email notification.

Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4):1st extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader2nd extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.3rd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

"Henry was horrid. Everyone said so, even his mother. Henry threw food, Henry grabbed, Henry pushed and shoved and pinched. Even his teddy bear, Mr. Kill, avoided him when possible." - Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon

My brother and I had plenty of naughty moments growing up. We pretended to eat our vitamins and when no one was watching we hid them under the couch. We made up our very own outdoor game, a contest of sorts to see who could throw hunks of wet, muddy dirt the highest onto the side of the house (got into a lot of trouble for that one). We played barbershop and cut off chunks of our hair. Yes, like most children were we full of mischief and pranks, learning our boundaries.

Horrid Henry, the main character in Francesca Simon's book series, is the king of bad behavior. When you think of the naughty kid list of characters, for instance Dennis the Menace, Pippi Longstocking, Bart Simpson, Max from Where the Wild Things Are -- Horrid Henry ranks right up there. And kids love him. Kids like to read about silly, off the wall, absurd characters, the crazier the better. Add some sibling rivalry, boring parents and annoying friends to the mix and you've got a fun read. Just how horrid is Horrid Henry? Well, he picks on his little brother (aptly named "Perfect Peter"), ruins all family camping and hiking trips and pulls plenty of other mischievous stunts much to the dismay of his parents and teachers. He is one out of control child.

Hugely popular and originally published in the UK, the Horrid Henry series is new to America this year. Each book is actually a collection of 4 different short stories, perfect for those with short attention spans and reluctant readers. As far as children's books go, they fit right between early readers and chapter books. Titles currently available in the U.S. include the following four books:

As a participant in the Horrid Henry blog tour, Sourcebooks sent me the first four titles for review. When I first started reading the books, I thought that each story might have a sort of lesson, that Harry would be checked in some way. No lessons here; he just is downright naughty. Though sometimes the joke is turned on him, and those particular stories are my favorite. For instance, the tooth fairy doesn't fall for his sneaky switch, a sleepover doesn't go his way. In "Horrid Henry Reads a Book", Henry pretends to read and report on a ton of books so that he can win a prize to an adventure park and learns the hard way that some things aren't as they seem. "Horrid Henry Dines at Restaurant Le Posh" made me chuckle with references to tripe and escargots. The illustrations by Tony Ross are right on the mark, comically depicting pointy-nosed adults and disobedient children.

Some parents may be understandably put off by the antics of Harry. When questioned about the rebelliousness of her main character, in an interview with Telegraph.co.uk Simon replied that "We all want to kick against the traces, but Henry is naughty so you don't have to be." I think most children will realize that they shouldn't act as Harry does, but it is still fun to do a little imagining.

Win a copy! Sourcebooks has kindly offered to give away two full sets of the Horrid Henry series (4 books) as the first prize (2 winners), and three second place winners will receive a copy of Horrid Henry.

The characters in the Horrid Henry books have alliterative adjective names that describe them (Perfect Peter, Moody Margaret, Prissy Polly, Rude Ralph, Beefy Bert, Greedy Graham and my favorite, Boudicca Battle-Axe). To enter, think of a name for a Horrid Henry character you'd like to see in the series, and leave it in the comment section.

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section. • Contest is open to US and Canada only • Contest ends on Monday, July 13th, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST.• Winner will be chosen at random and sent an email notification.

Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4):1st extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader2nd extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.3rd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

A while back I received several different books from Titan Publishing Group for review. Titan Books is known for their film and TV tie-ins as well as graphic novels and comics titles. Additionally, they publish popular "coffee table" books dealing with animation, popular culture, collectibles and comic and fantasy art. Watchmen, James Bond, Wallace & Gromit, Transformers, Tank Girl--these are a few of the many familiar characters found in their publications.

Some of the titles are appropriate for children and others are definitely meant for a more mature audience. The books are a good option especially for boys and reluctant readers that tend to avoid regular books. In March I reviewed two of Titan's Monsters vs Aliens Graphic Novels. The company was pleased with the feedback so they sent a few more my way for my readers to learn about. Here are some Titan titles for the late teens/adult audience (product descriptions from Titan website):

My Review: Watchmen the movie was released in US theaters on March 6, 2009 (DVD comes out July 21st). Based the award-winning graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, the rated "R" Warner Brothers movie is crime-conspiracy story. Watchmen The Film Companion provides a detailed behind the scenes view of the movie creation. Each page is filled with lots of photos from production as well as interviews with the cast and crew. I especially enjoyed the large section devoted to the characters in the film. Fans of the Watchmen film and graphic novel won't want to miss this excellent movie tie-in.

Titan books offers several James Bond graphic novels. This is just one example:

Product Description: This bumper action-packed volume collects ultra rare Bond stories that have not been seen since their original syndication: ‘Flittermouse’, ‘The Scent of Danger’, ‘Snake Goddess’, ‘Double Eagle’ and ‘Polestar’! Plus a new introduction by Bond girl Valerie Leon (The Spy Who Loved Me), features on Ian Fleming’s home Goldeneye and a look at the rarely seen Bond Zig Zag comics series, this latest explosive volume is not to be missed!

This next book is the first in a series of original novels based on the television show, Primeval.

Product Description: When strange anomalies in time start to appear Professor Cutter and his team have to help track down and capture a multitude of dangerous prehistoric creatures from Earth's distant past… and distant future.An Entelodon goes on the rampage down Oxford Street in central London causing untold damage and loss of life, and Cutter decides a new approach to tackling the anomalies is needed. When a mysterious Russian scientist arrives at the ARC, Cutter thinks he might have found the answer...In this brand new original never-seen-on-TV Primeval adventure Cutter and the team are forced to travel to Siberia to confront an anomaly problem on an epic scale...

To enter, visit Titan Books and leave a comment with the title of another Titan book that interests you.

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section. • Contest is open to US and Canada only; must be 18 years or older; if younger, you must obtain parental permission before accepting prize • Contest ends on Monday, July 6th, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST.• Winner will be chosen at random

Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4):1st extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader2nd extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.3rd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.

Welcome all blog carnival friends. This giveaway is part of the YA Book Carnival at Shooting Stars Mag.

Best friends, first love, summer vacations, sparkling sea glass, heartache and loss, Sarah Ockler's YA book, Twenty Boy Summer, contains it all. Friends since childhood, Anna and brother and sister duo Frankie and Matt spend all their time together. But a frosting covered kiss between Matt and Anna on Anna's 15th birthday changes the dynamic of the friendship between the three friends. The two keep their relationship a secret from Frankie, waiting for the perfect moment to tell her and let it sink in. But before the secret is divulged their lives tragically change. Matt dies. Frankie and Anna struggle to deal with the loss, neither able to truthfully share their feelings with each other. A year later and still grieving in their own separate ways they set out on a "family vacation" with Frankie's parents to Zanzibar Bay, vowing to meet 20 boys and have the Absolute Best Summer Ever.

Ockler takes readers on ocean wave ride of emotions in her debut book, writing from Anna's point of view about the highs of new found love and the lows of death and sadness. Ockler's honest dealings with grief and her ability to portray the reality of how quickly life can change, how quickly friendships can change, how families can be torn apart and brought back together by sorrow--that is the strength of this book. It is easy to relate to each of the characters; their feelings and emotions are very real as well as the descriptions of place. I could feel the summer ocean breeze, listen to the calming shhh, ahhh of the waves and understand the elation and sadness of each individual. I found myself transported right back to my teenage years, back to the experiences of the first kiss, first boyfriend, first time falling in love.

Twenty Boy Summer contains many perfect, wonderful parts. Sea glass, sometimes thought of as tears of a love sick mermaid, perfectly symbolizes grief and a broken heart. I loved how Ockler used sea glass in her book, how Anna comes to terms with her own fractured heart and can find beauty in something broken. However, I must mention that I also found myself I bit disappointed by some not so perfect parts. The book's title is 20 Boy Summer. I realized there would be boy moments, boy crushes, that sort of thing. But, as a Christian and mother, I was bothered by the carefree treatment of the loss of one's virginity, an “albatross” to be cast off. The book does not effectively deal with the emotions involved in a physical relationship and because of some of the mature content of the book involving sex and drinking, I cannot recommend it for younger teens. I wish that Ockler had dealt with this part of her plot in a different way because overall the book is wonderfully written, a compelling and touching YA read perfect for a summer day.

Win a copy! Thanks to Little, Brown and Company (2) Brimful Curiosities readers will receive their own copy of 20 Boy Summer.

To enter, leave a comment relevant to this post.

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section. • Contest is open to US only; must be 18 years or older; if younger, you must obtain parental permission before accepting prize • Contest ends on Monday, July 6th, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST.• Winners will be chosen at random and notified by email

Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4):1st extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader2nd extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.3rd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.

Welcome all blog carnival friends. This giveaway is part of the YA Book Carnival at Shooting Stars Mag.

We had a very busy weekend so this edition of Full to the Brim is short and sweet. YA fans make sure to check out the giveaways at Shooting Stars Mag YA Book Giveaway Carnival this week. I'll be posting a YA book review/giveaway at the YA carnival later today.

Please check out my other "Full to the Brim" posts as well. Many contests are still underway. I publish "Full to the Brim" every Monday and Friday. Thanks for visiting my blog and come back soon!

Friday, June 19, 2009

"So if it's happiness you want, That's what you'll getYou gotta rise up, little sister, Turn on the lightWise up to the stories you've been told'Cause love don't come in black or white"- "Rise Up" from Bible Belt by Diane Birch

Don't let those big eyes and young look deceive you...Diane Birch sings with a maturity far beyond her years. Think Carole King, Linda Ronstadt and Stevie Nicks talent. She impresses in her debut album Bible Belt, combining a powerful voice, skillful piano playing and superb song writing. Listening to her music is like riding a retro time machine back to the music of my childhood years. Birch describes herself as an "old soul." Old soul she may be, but she's managed to make herself a new favorite as well.

Birch combines many great musical styles seamlessly together, creating a sound all her own...gospel, doo-wop, country-blues, 70's pop. The music is a refreshing change from the standards on the radio today. I love so many of the songs on the album it is hard to choose my favorite. The gospel-like "Rise Up" ranks high on my list, as well as "Fire Escape," the opening song sung with such feeling. Bible Belt released on Tuesday June 2nd and has already hit the billboards.

Watch Birch in action - She's set to perform "Nothing But A Miracle" on "The Late Show With David Letterman" on CBS on Wednesday, July 22nd!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

How do you spell winner? Just ask the newest recipients of Abigail Spells. The winners have been contacted by email and have 72 hours to get back to me before another winner is chosen. C-O-N-G-R-A-T-S!

The contest calls upon kids, parents, teachers, and community leaders to submit their BIG ideas for creating positive change in their communities by demonstrating Clifford’s Big Ideas; Share, Play Fair, Have Respect, Work Together, Be Responsible, Be A Good Friend, Help Others, Be Truthful, Be Kind and Believe In Yourself.

The BE BIG Fund will help bring the winning BIG idea to life by awarding one (1) Grand Prize $25,000 community grant and ten (10) runner-up $2,500 community grants to implement the winning BIG ideas via HandsOn Network local affiliate organizations.

Every time someone opens up a lemonade stand, Electrolux will donate $1 to OCRF to help fund research to find a cure. By opening up your own stand you are entered into the Open a Stand Sweepstakes for a chance to win an elegant new French Door Refrigerator with Perfect Temp Drawer™ from Electrolux. If you want, you can further help the OCRF by selling virtual glasses of lemonade from your stand to others. If your friends and family donate to your stand, they will also have a chance to win. (See http://www.kelly-confidential.com for details and official rules.)

My stand is up and running! If you get a chance stop on over at the Brimful Virtual Lemonade Stand for some raspberry, ginger or passion fruit lemonade and support a great cause while you are at it!

(This post is part of the MomCentral Electrolux blog tour promotion. Disclosure: All participating bloggers (including me) receive a $20 gift card for their participation. In turn, I am donating $20 to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Mom Central is also giving away one French Door Refrigerator to a member of the community! To enter, simply visit MomCentral. )

July looks to be a busy month for Harry Potter fans! Here are a few exciting events for both children and adults:

Book #7 Paperback Release:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a breathtaking finish to a remarkable series. The final chapter to Harry Potter’s adventures will be released in paperback July 7th, 2009! It all comes down to this - a final face off between good and evil. You plan to pull out all the stops, but every time you solve one mystery, three more evolve. I've heard that many kids plan to re-read the whole Harry Potter series this summer.

Museum Exhibit: Visiting Chicago this summer? Don't miss the world premiere of Harry Potter: The Exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. According to the press release you can view key movie artifacts like Professor Snape’s™ original costume; Sybill Trelawney’s crystal ball; artifacts from the Yule Ball, including costumes from notable characters such as Harry, Ron, Hermione and Professor Dumbledore™; and life-size centaurs, a caged dragon, Buckbeak and giant Acromantula. In addition, guests will have the opportunity to pull a Mandrake from its pot in the Herbology vignette, toss a Quaffle in the Quidditch area, and tour Hagrid’s hut. The exhibit is at the Museum of Science and Industry from April 30, 2009 to September 27, 2009.

Win a prize pack! Thanks to Scholastic and Big Honcho Media, Five (5) Brimful Curiosities readers will receive a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows paperback prize pack that includes:

* Book 5 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix * Book 6 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince * Book 7 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

To enter, leave a comment relevant to this post.

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section. • Contest is open to US only • Contest ends on Monday, July 13th, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST.• Winners will be chosen at random and notified by email

Sunday, June 14, 2009

"I can 'butter him up' at the 'drop of a hat.' It's a 'blessing in disguise.' And I really like when Daddy 'sees the world through my eyes.' When Daddy talks, I listen. He might say something new. But please don't ask me what he means 'cause I 'haven't got a clue!'" - My Daddy Likes to Say by Denise Brennan-Nelson

Father's Day is "just around the corner" and the kids are "gearing up" to "have a ball" with their daddy. Daddy may think he is "the big cheese" around here but my daughter pretty much has him "wrapped around her little finger" and my son is certainly "a chip off the old block" and likes "the limelight" as well. "Get the picture?" Dad's day probably won't be just about Dad but hopefully he'll be "pleased as punch" at our efforts to make him feel special. Yes, we plan to "pull out all the stops" and "roll out the red carpet" as well. Lucky for him, we'll keep the idioms and figures of speech to a minimum.

The children's book My Daddy Likes to Say is a fun take on familiar idioms a dad might say to his children. Using poetry and side notes, author Denise Brennan-Nelson explains phrases like "fly by the seat of your pants" and "were you born in a barn?" The silly illustrations by Jane Monroe Donovan help show literal representations of the expressions. Each page spread features an idiom, a poem pertaining the idiom, factual information and an accompanying illustration. The book is the fourth in the "Likes to Say" idiom series: My Momma Likes to Say, My Teacher Likes to Say, and My Grandma Likes to Say.

My preschool aged daughter is too young to completely understand idioms, but she does enjoy looking at the humorous pictures in the book. She also likes the short, rhyming poems that go along with each of the idioms featured in the book. Elementary school aged children will enjoy reading about the origins and meanings behind the phrases. Just like the other books in the award-winning series, this book would make an excellent teaching tool for homeschoolers and teachers interested in presenting a lesson on idioms.

To enter, comment with your favorite idiom. (If you can't think of any idioms, leave a comment relevant to this post.)

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section. • Contest is open to US only• Contest ends on Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST.• Winner will be chosen at random

Three more ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4):1st extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader2nd extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.3rd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.

Friday, June 12, 2009

"The world is a music box of sound. Turn the handle round and round. The world is a music box of sound. Thunder rumbling. Teakettles whistling. Waterfalls falling. Children singing." - "Music Box" Mary Kaye Music Box CD

Listening to Mary Kaye's newest CD Music Box is an auditory experience. If a storybook filled with animals and all sorts of fantasy creatures could come alive in a musical way, the verses would most likely sound exactly like the songs on the album. Kaye sings with expression and animation and her words quickly spill out in a speak-sing fashion. Her deep, low voice works perfectly for singing her folk-rock sounding songs that appeal to both kids and adults. She's been likened to a Natalie Merchant for kids by Parenting Magazine.

The lyrics to her songs creatively and abstractly describe all sorts of interesting creatures and situations and she often uses short, catchy, fragmented phrases. My kids really like the silly song "Bug" where a poor bug is trapped under a cup inside the house. In my favorite song "Music Box," Kaye sings of all the sounds in the world like the tap tap tap of the woodpecker and squish squish squish of muddy boots. "Turtley Turleloo" sounds a bit like a yodel--Turtle-eeeee, Turtle-ooooo. If you try to sing along with any of her songs, I can guarantee your mouth is in for a fun work-out. Kids can settle down and relax with "Hot Chocolate Fairy" a cold-weather song and fall asleep dreaming of the quiet "Sleepy Land." Music Box is set to release on July 2, 2009.

Mary Kaye is an award winning singer/songwriter based in southern Maine. With a background in both theatre and education, her music and concerts are both entertaining and thought provoking for children and their families. Her previous album, Spin Your Web won numerous awards.

Win a copy! Mary Kaye has kindly offered to give away (1) Music Box CD to a Brimful Curiosities reader.

To enter, take a look at Kaye's previous CD Spin Your Web and leave a comment with the name of your favorite song from the album.

• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section. • Contest is open to US only• Contest ends on Monday, June 29th, 2009 at 11:59 PM CST.• Winner will be chosen at random

Three more ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4):1st extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader2nd extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.3rd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.

About Me

Brimful Curiosities is a mom blog/book blog featuring reviews and posts on children's books, music, educational products, toys and more. It's home to the weekly "Full to the Brim" Kid's Book Giveaway List. Occasionally it includes non-children related product and book reviews and personal postings.